Editing John Henry Newman (section)

===Cardinalate===

In 1878, Newman's old college elected him an honorary fellow, and he revisited Oxford after an interval of thirty-two years, on the same day [[Pope Pius IX]] died. Pius had mistrusted Newman but his successor, [[Pope Leo XIII]], was encouraged by the Duke of Norfolk and other English Catholic laymen to make Newman a [[Cardinal (Catholic)|cardinal]], despite the fact that he was neither a bishop nor resident in Rome.{{sfn|Hutton|1911|p=519}} Cardinal Manning seems not to have been interested in having Newman become a cardinal and remained silent when the Pope asked him about it. Ullathorne, as Newman's immediate superior, sent word to Pope Leo that he would welcome the honour. The offer was made by Rome in February 1879. Newman accepted the gesture as a vindication of his work, but made two requests: that he not be consecrated a bishop on receiving the cardinalate, as was usual at that time; and that he might remain in Birmingham.{{sfn|Hutton|1911|p=519}}

Newman was elevated to the rank of cardinal in the consistory of 12 May 1879 by Pope Leo XIII, who assigned him the [[Cardinal-Deacon|Deaconry]] of ''[[San Giorgio al Velabro]]''. While in Rome, Newman insisted on the lifelong consistency of his opposition to "liberalism in religion"; he argued it would lead to complete [[relativism]].{{sfn|Hutton|1911|p=519}}<ref>"Liberalism in religion is the doctrine that there is no positive truth in religion, but that one creed is as good as another…", JH Newman 'Biglietto Speech' http://www.newmanreader.org/works/addresses/file2.html {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200802154921/http://www.newmanreader.org/works/addresses/file2.html |date=2 August 2020 }}</ref>